I have a fear (well, I have a lot of fears but this one has a name!) and it is called amaxophobia. This phobia is the abnormal and unwarranted fear of riding in a car (not driving, riding). This fear is typically due to two reasons: previous bad experience (yup!) or due to poor socialization (no question I was poorly socialized!)
I recall the exact time that I developed amaxophobia. I was a kid, riding to California with my mom, my sister and our dog in our 1971 VW van. We had just finished breakfast (we ate and slept out of this van … my mom had become a hippie). My sister had eaten Captain Crunch with Crunch Berries and had started to complain about her stomach. I recall the van seemed to be going faster and faster and she was complaining more and more. Then, all of a sudden … the contents of her breakfast were all over me! I started screaming but my mom didn’t hear me (her music was too loud). After what seemed like hours (likely about 5 seconds), she finally pulled over but when she did she swerved in such a way that I was sure I was going to die with the contents of my sister’s stomach all over me. That was the beginning of the end.
Amaxophobia is linked with loss of control (of course, why does everything come back to this topic!). Thankfully, I have a mild case but it is particularly visible when I am riding in a cab!
I’ve often thought having a phobia would be nice. Something I can point to for my sometimes bizarre behavior. Here are a few of my favorites:
Ablutophobia: Fear of washing or bathing (my boys had this until they realized there were girls at school)
Alliumphobia: Fear of garlic (I wish my close friend would develop this)
Allodoxaphobia: Fear of opinions (all lawyers have this)
Myxophobia: Fear of slime (moms of boys can never develop this)
Bromidrophobia: Fear of body smells (clearly my boys don’t have this)
Murophobia: Fear of mice (whose with me on this??)
Sesquipedalophia: Fear of long words (hmm, do I have this?).
For my friends (and my daughter who is now learning to drive with me sitting in the passenger seat) who have experienced my amaxophobia – I am sorry. Now we know, that my hysteria, at times, really has a name and is not just a “mom-thing” (as most of my behaviors seem to be with teenagers!)
Safe travels today!
theyearof50 